The SOS Card Project

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Become a Superhero – Save Lives!

Have you always dreamed of secretly being a superhero who does his ordinary daytime job every day, but when a life is in danger – Ratch! – rips off his shirt and rushes to save a life?

Let this dream come true now! Save lives!

How do I become a Superhero?

You don't have to learn to fly to do that. And your shirt also stays in one piece

All you have to do is to rub a cotton swab against the inside of your mouth. Mucosal cells will stick to the cotton swab. These cells are examined and stored in the bone marrow donation centre of the University Hospital Düsseldorf.

Who am I saving?

You save people with malignant blood diseases like leukaemia. In Germany alone, about 11,000 people develop those diseases every year. These people can be helped if a suitable donor with the same HLA characteristics — maybe you! — can be found.

In addition, donation centres worldwide can search for registered donors. Your blood can also save people in your homeland! If you wish, you will receive a SOS Card which stores all important medical data about you. This way the data will be preserved when you move to your home country or another country.

How can I save Lives?

If your tissue characteristics match those of a patient, you will be invited to the bone marrow donor centre. After a thorough medical check-up, your ability to donate will be determined. Then blood stem cells will be taken from your blood. This is done by centrifuging. The extracted cells are transplanted to the patient. The stem cells are obtained via the arm vein. For this you only have to sit at a device for some time.

Is there any danger to me?

Real superheroes aren't afraid! And you don't have to be afraid either: Blood stem cells are taken from your blood only if you are healthy. If the doctors sense a danger, there will be no donation at all.